Fictional Hotels in Films: The Fregoli (Anomalisa)
Screenwriter and occasional director Charlie Kaufman has a reputation for crafting mind-bending cinematic experiences that challenge viewers’ conventional understanding of objective reality. His films Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Synecdoche New York (2008) are known for their surreal and often unsettling explorations of the human condition. Kaufman possesses a unique ability to subtly subvert reality, creating narratives that delicately balance exhilaration and existential dread. He masterfully employs wry humour to offset the profound philosophical questions his films raise, inviting viewers to contemplate the absurd and question the nature of human consciousness.
Background
Anomalisa (2016), Kaufman’s stop-motion animated film, continues his interest in unsettling and thought-provoking storytelling. The very medium of stop-motion animation contributes to the film’s unsettling atmosphere. The inherent artificiality of stop-motion, where puppets are manipulated frame-by-frame, creates an uncanny valley effect. This awkward feeling, where the figures appear almost human but subtly off-putting, amplifies the sense of anxiety and paranoia that permeates the film, seeping into the characters’ interactions and dialogues.
The film’s protagonist, Michael Stone, a self-help author grappling with a mid-life crisis, travels to Cincinnati to deliver a lecture. He checks into The Fregoli hotel, dials his ex-lover for a drink, and later meets Lisa in the hotel, where they engage in a sexual encounter. However, as is typical in Kaufman’s universe, reality begins to unravel. A subtle but unsettling detail emerges: a small, almost imperceptible crack runs from the corner of every character’s face (including Michael’s own), lending them an unsettling mask-like, robotic appearance. Furthermore, it soon becomes apparent that, with the exception of Michael, every single person in the world, regardless of gender, possesses the same monotonous voice. This unsettling revelation sets the stage for a progressively stranger and more disorienting narrative as the film goes…
The Fregoli hotel
Unlike many films that draw inspiration from real-world locations, the Fregoli hotel in Anomalisa is a purely fictional creation. Its name, however, carries significant thematic weight. The Fregoli hotel is named after Fregoli Syndrome, a rare delusional disorder classified as a “delusional misidentification syndrome.” This syndrome, which also encompasses Capgras Syndrome (the delusion that a familiar person has been replaced by an imposter), manifests in the belief that various individuals are actually the same person in disguise.
Individuals with Fregoli Syndrome may misidentify familiar faces, erroneously attributing them to a single individual. This misidentification is believed to arise from a neurological phenomenon known as “associative nodes.” These associative nodes, essentially neural connections, link unfamiliar faces to a known individual, leading to erroneous and often unsettling perceptions of reality.
Kaufman adapted the Anomalisa screenplay from his own 2005 audio play, Anomalisa, written under the pseudonym Francis Fregoli. This deliberate choice underscores the film’s exploration of identity, perception, and the fragile nature of reality, mirroring the unsettling delusions experienced by individuals with Fregoli Syndrome.
To accommodate the film’s extensive use of hotel room shots, Production Designer John Joyce constructed eight identical, fully realised sets. These sets were modular, allowing for the diverse camera angles required. Three of these sets incorporated intricate mechanics to facilitate specific shots involving elaborate motion control camera moves. Joyce believes that approaching the film with a live-action sensibility was crucial to achieving its dynamic feel. However, he recognised that certain techniques from live-action filmmaking are not feasible in stop-motion animation. For instance, long shots are incredibly challenging to execute in stop-motion.
The materials used for the puppets and sets are susceptible to temperature fluctuations, causing expansion and contraction. Film lights experience dimming and brightening throughout a shot. Gravity can subtly influence the motion control camera’s movement, leading to slight shifts in position or focus. These factors required daily adjustments throughout the shooting process to maintain consistency. In live-action filmmaking, one minute of filming typically yields one minute of footage. In stop-motion, animating a single minute can take months, during which numerous factors can introduce variability.
All the above variables contributed to the film’s overall unreal and awkward feeling.
Anomalisa was critically acclaimed, receiving high praise for its screenplay, direction, and its exploration of themes such as loneliness, alienation, and the human condition. The film achieved a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% score on Metacritic. Notably, the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, marking a significant milestone as the first R-rated animated film to receive this nomination. Furthermore, the film garnered a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
The film’s soundtrack features an original score by Carter Burwell, interwoven with dialogue and atmospheric soundscapes happening within The Fregoli hotel.
Fictional Hotels in Films Series
This series explores how iconic fictional hotels become central to compelling cinematic storytelling.
